Vijayawada: The Andhra Pradesh government led by Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy has issued orders extending the SC/ST sub-plan for another ten years.
The orders were issued by the secretary to Legal and Legislative Affairs & Justice under the law department through GO- Ms-7 on Sunday (Jan 22).
Various political parties and Dalit organisations were seeking an extension of the sub-plan and the chief minister decided to do this.
AP Congress Committee president Gidugu Rudraraju, welcoming the extension order, praised the government's decision. He said the Congress party along with some other parties as also the Dalit and tribal groups had put pressure on the government.
This is the victory of the struggle of the Dalit-tribal groups, the Congress leader stressed.
Rudraraju said the Congress party has suggested that the government frame a strict law on the “SC-ST special development fund" and take steps to ensure that the funds allocated to SCs-STs are not diverted.He said the Congress party has demanded restoration of 27 welfare schemes that were stopped by the government.
Meanwhile, a protest programme was held under the auspices of KVPS in Gundimeda village, Tadepalli mandal, on Sunday, demanding continuation of the SC ST sub-plan forever as the SC ST Sub Plan expires on Jan 23.
KVPS state general secretary Andra Malyadri said that since 2004, KVPS and Dalit-tribal groups have fought to allocate the SC-ST sub-plan funds to dalits and tribals. As a result, the SC-ST sub-plan act was introduced in 2013 following the struggle of KVPS, dalit, tribal and left party leaders. The previous Telugu Desam government had diverted the funds of this sub-plan to welfare schemes, he said.
Similarly, Jagan Reddy, who came to power in 2019, has been diverting the funds of SC-ST sub plan to the Navaratnalu scheme. He criticised the government for “insincerity” to dalits and tribals.
